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How Much Does a Medical Records Specialist Make?

A medical records specialist in the US earns a median salary of $51,140 a year, or $24.59 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $56,790, and the middle half earn between $43,490 and $64,820.

Median a year $51,140
Median an hour $24.59
Median a month $4,262
Average a year $56,790

Medical records specialist pay range

What medical records specialists earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $37,000 $17.79
25th $43,490 $20.91
Median (50th) $51,140 $24.59
75th $64,820 $31.17
90th (top 10%) $81,150 $39.01

The median is 0% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 194,720 people work as medical records specialists in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$983
Every two weeks
$1,967
Twice a month
$2,131
A month
$4,262

At the median salary, before tax.

Medical records specialist salary by state

Sorted by average pay. District of Columbia pays medical records specialists the most, at $80,250 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
District of Columbia $80,250 $72,040 270 After tax
California $68,230 $61,810 18,700 After tax
Washington $67,480 $62,270 5,010 After tax
New York $67,200 $61,720 9,080 After tax
Hawaii $65,590 $63,180 400 After tax
Alaska $64,440 $61,090 1,070 After tax
Connecticut $63,970 $60,940 1,120 After tax
Minnesota $63,570 $61,530 3,150 After tax
Rhode Island $63,150 $63,960 650 After tax
Colorado $61,810 $59,020 1,780 After tax
Massachusetts $61,560 $60,350 3,500 After tax
Oregon $61,110 $59,000 2,560 After tax
Wisconsin $60,610 $60,280 2,870 After tax
Vermont $57,950 $57,560 – After tax
Maryland $57,930 $54,220 2,440 After tax
Wyoming $57,620 $54,210 280 After tax
Idaho $57,240 $53,460 1,490 After tax
Illinois $57,160 $56,440 5,740 After tax
Utah $57,160 $52,870 1,910 After tax
Virginia $56,960 $53,290 4,630 After tax
Georgia $56,830 $51,550 5,930 After tax
Nebraska $56,720 $51,670 1,640 After tax
Maine $56,670 $52,090 1,000 After tax
Ohio $56,620 $50,990 7,440 After tax
Delaware $56,540 $56,060 610 After tax
New Mexico $56,380 $57,470 1,400 After tax
Missouri $55,950 $50,750 3,890 After tax
Nevada $55,730 $50,300 2,350 After tax
Tennessee $55,640 $48,780 4,440 After tax
North Carolina $55,510 $49,620 6,760 After tax
South Carolina $54,810 $54,280 2,750 After tax
New Jersey $54,490 $50,240 4,450 After tax
South Dakota $54,380 $51,610 900 After tax
Oklahoma $54,240 $53,460 2,480 After tax
Kentucky $53,520 $48,410 4,210 After tax
Iowa $53,470 $50,640 2,250 After tax
Indiana $53,370 $47,670 5,860 After tax
New Hampshire $53,200 $49,210 930 After tax
Pennsylvania $53,050 $46,840 6,970 After tax
Texas $52,880 $48,860 17,210 After tax
Kansas $52,860 $48,160 2,030 After tax
North Dakota $52,850 $46,280 520 After tax
Montana $52,720 $50,190 820 After tax
Arizona $52,670 $47,630 3,750 After tax
Michigan $52,650 $48,120 4,890 After tax
West Virginia $50,900 $47,360 1,260 After tax
Florida $50,440 $45,760 21,490 After tax
Louisiana $50,240 $44,610 2,600 After tax
Arkansas $45,880 $41,740 1,920 After tax
Alabama $45,710 $43,810 2,330 After tax
Mississippi $44,380 $41,500 2,310 After tax
Guam $41,010 $38,470 70
Puerto Rico $34,060 $27,990 1,850

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other healthcare practitioners jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Medical Records Specialists” (SOC 29-2072). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a medical records specialist make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a medical records specialist is $24.59, and the average is $27.30. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $17.79 an hour and the top 10% over $39.01.

How much does a medical records specialist make a month?

At the median salary of $51,140, a medical records specialist earns about $4,262 a month before tax, or $1,967 every two weeks.

Which state pays medical records specialists the most?

District of Columbia has the highest average pay for a medical records specialist, at $80,250 a year. Next are California and Washington. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a medical records specialist?

The lowest-paid 10% of medical records specialists earn less than $37,000 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $43,490. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid medical records specialists make?

The top 10% earn more than $81,150 a year, and the top 25% more than $64,820.